Acetylene-generator.



`Ags. PHELgs & J. N.J. HILBBRT.

AGETYLBNE GENERATOR. MPLIfJATIolgr FILED JAN.26, 1910.

A. S. PHELPS & J. N. J. HILBBRT.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

5 BHEETS-BHEET 2.

CQLUMBIA PLANouRAPx-x CQ.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

A. S. PHELPS & J. N. J. HILBERT.

AGETYLENB GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1910.

1,008,058. Patented Non?, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. S. PHELPS & J. N. J. HILBERT. ACBTYLENB GENERATOR.

, APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH cc..w^sH|NG1-0N, DA c.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

A. s. PHELPS & J. N. J. HILBERT. .AGETYLENE GENERATOR. PPLITION FILED JAN. 26, 1910. 1,008,058, Patented Nov. 7,1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

CULUMBIA PMNDURAPH C0..WA5H1NOTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALGERNON S. PHELPS AND JOI-IN N. J'. HILBERT, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID I-IIIBERT ASSIGNOR T0 SAID PHELPS.

ACETYLENE-GENERATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALGERNON S. PHnLPs and JOHN N. J. Hinnirr, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

Our invent-ion relates to improvements in gas generators, and, in particular, to acetylene generators.

The object of our invention is to provide an acetylene generator which will comply with all the requirements of the Underwriters Association, which will be capable of automatically controlling the generation of gas under all conditions of use, of maintaining auniform gas pressure, of preventing a flooding of the generator, and, in short, a generator wherein safety is assured and which will automatically adjust itself to varying circumstances and demands.

Our invention has for its object, moreover, the prevention of the caking of carbid in the feeding device, the provision of a positive cut-off in the carbid supply, the maintenance of anauxiliary supply of carbid in reserve, and the automatic feeding of the same when required, and, in general, the accomplishing of further advantageous results in the manufacture of acetylene gas as hereinafter more specifically set out.

`With these objects in view, our invention consists in the features, details of constrnction, and combination of parts, which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of the generator complete with certain portions broken away to reveal the interior construction; F ig. 2 is a side Velevation of the carbid feeding device; Fig. 3 is a similar view from the opposite side; F ig. 4 is a rear view of the carbid feed; Fig. 5 is a'vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, showing the parts in non-feeding' position, and the cut-off open; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the same line as Fig. 5 but with the cut-oftl closed and the parts in normal feeding position; Fig. 7 A is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 6 with the cut-off closed, in operative posit-ion; and Fig. S is a detail of the reserve feed device.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 26, 1910.

Patented Nov. *7, 1911.

serian No. 540,143.

main or generator casing a is divided by the partition a into two compartments, a lower generating chamber a2 having an upward eX- tending cylindrical portion as, and an upper chamber at' serving as a receptacle and water seal for the gasometer to be hereinafter more specifically referred to.

Water is supplied to the generating chamber by means of a filling lip and a pipe b provided with a T, and extending at b2 into the generator and terminating therein in an upt-urned nipple to form a trap. A movable plug b3 closes one arm of the T, whereby to provide cleaning access to the inward eX- l tension Z22.

The generating chamber is emptied through a sludge outlet c closed by a gate valve c. This gate is normally locked by a foot c2 formed on the rod c3. The rod o3 is rigidly connected with the plug d of a cock d2 controlling the vent pipe d which leads from within the chamber a2 above the water level, by way of the cock cl2, to the upper space of the by-pass.

The by-pass e is of the usual construction, being a tight boX, arranged to be partially filled with water by a filling pipe e terminating near the bottom of the boX, and also having an outlet e2.

An overflow pipe f, tapping the inside of the generating tank at the maximum water level, leads by way of a T f, having a removable cleaning plug f2, to the lower outside of the casing,.where is situated another' T f3, thence the pi'peextends upwardly to form a water trap and discharges at ft into the waste. By this construction the overflow water is taken from the top and the water trapped therein is comparatively free from sediment which would not be the case if it were taken from the bott-om of the generating chamber. This overflow pipe f is controlled by a cock f5 interlocked by means of a rod fg with the rod c3, whereby the two cocks f5 and Z2 work in unison, and the gate c can not be opened without at the same time operating the said cocks to open the vent and also the overflow.

The gas, generated by the discharge of carbid into the water in the generating chamber by the carbid feeding vmechanism to be hereinafter described in detail, passes by way of the pipe g through the washer g and the filter g2, into the pipe g3 to the T gi having vertically extending arms, one of whichr1 g5. as a drip pipe, extends into the water in the by-pass box e and the other. g, is connected to the house supply pipe. A blow-olf pipe /z having its inner open end terminating in the upper gasonieter space and surrounded by the usual hood it, extends outside the gasometei.' to the T it?, having one vertical arm leading to the upper space of the by-pass and the other /L4 discharging out of doors into the atmosphere.

The gasoineter is of the usual general forni having an inner and an outer wall, open at the bottom and floating, when filled with gas, within the receptacle al", on a body of water which serves to seal the lower end. It is of annular shape, enveloping the washer g and the filter g2 its inner wall surrounding the cylindrical upward extension as, of the generating chamber. A bail 2" attached to the gasometer is detachably connected by the catch 2 to an arm a pivoted at it to a bracket 2' carried by the casing o and supported by the brace @li The pivot 2'* is in the form of a removable pin attached to a chain '2'7 to prevent loss.

YVithin the cylindrical extension a of the generating chamber c2 the carbid magazine, '7' is supported, and the atmosphere excluded by the cover j. This carbid magazine is of the saine general construction as that disclosed in detail in `Patents 783,732 and 878,310, with the inclined discharge chute j?, but it is used in connection with certain important improvements in the carbid feed.

In our carbid feeding mechanism we employ the same general type of feed and cntoff device as that shown in the patent last mentioned7 viz: A feed shoe 7e counterweighted at 7'." is supported by a yoke ,7.12 pivoted at 7e3 to swing below and closely adjacent to the mouth 7:4 of the chute jg, the month and shoe being both concentric to the pivotal point 7c3, whereby the reciprocat ing motion of the shoeacross the mouth is unimpeded by reason of the fact that the space between the two is at all times constant. An open-hook link 7n is pivotally connected with the shoe 7a at m', and with its open hook end engages an arm m2 of al rock shaft m3 arranged to be rocked upon the descent of the gasometer in any approved manner, as for instance by a rod m4 extending upwardly and connected to the yoke m5 of a depending link m6 pivoted at m7 to an arm m8 pivoted in turn at m10 to the bracket This arm m8 underlies the arm 3, and as the gasometer z' and with it the arm 3 descend, the rod m4 is depressed and the shaft m3 is rocked. A counterweighted arm mi restores the shaft to its normal position as soon as the gasometer again rises and releases the arm m8.

To prevent escape of gas and avoid the necessity of a stuiiing box7 we employ a particular method of connecting the rod m4 with the rock shaft mii, making no claim to the same herein. Secured tightly to the rod m4 is a downwardly opening hood mm extending downwardly around the rod and telescopically into the well m to a point below the water level in the gasoineter. An upwardly extending pipe m12 fixed to .the diaphragm or partition a communicates between the gas space of the generating chainn ber c2 and the upper part of the hood mm and the bore of the pipe serves as a passage for the rod mi. Below the partition c the rock shaft m3 is j ournaled in the bracket m1 and thus the rod m4 has no slidingl bearing in any part requiring a stufling box and the connection is eifectually water sealed. A bow or bail n is mounted at each side of the magazine on the pivot 7e3 and extends across and below a series of bars n weighted at a2 and carrying each a curved finger n3. The bars are pivoted at at to the magazine, at a point forming the center of curvature of the fingers n3. These fingerwbars swing independently of each other upon the pivot ai* Within a slot n formed in the upper rear wall of the inclined chute just above its mouth 7e* and act as a positive cut-off for the carbid. The bow or bail n has a lower end nl engaged by a lug nl on one side of the yoke 7a2. A comb 0, Figs. 4 and 7, formed of sheet metal and' secured in the space between the bottom of the magazine y' and the chute ,7'2 upon a support o', serves by its teeth to space the respective finger-bars apart and to guide the same in their movement. The comb and its arms 0 constitute a yoke which is mounted on the axis n4, and since the arms 0 are resilient they will bear against the supporting lugs which carry the said axis n* and thus create sufficient friction to hold the comb o at the desired position. Furthermore, the bottom of the magazine will prevent the comb and its arms from swinging up too far while the rod 7c3 will prevent said comb from swinging down too far. In practice the comb moves too stili'ly to be carried in either direction by the ordinary operation of the fingers ln.

The relation of the several parts just described is such. that when the feed shoe occupies a position beneath the mouth of the magazine the end n of the bow or bail is held by the lug n.7 in such a position that the bars n are lifted to an elevated posi tion with the fingers n3 retracted into the slot a5. In the retracted condition of the fingers7 the shoe being in the non-feeding position, the carbid may flow freely through the throat into the shoe. lThis is the normal situation when the gasometer is full of gas. As the gasometer descends and the shaft is rocked, the shoe 7c is swung to the rear upon its pivot 7c3 from beneath the mouth of the magazine, dropping into the generating chamber a quantity of carbid (and that which is in the throat beneath the fingers n3). This feeding movement of the shoe 7@ causes the bow or bail a to be released by the lug a7 and permits the finger bars to immediately drop and the fingers to extend across the throat, effectually shutting off any fi'ow of carbid while the shoe is in its feeding position.

By arranging the several finger bars entirely independent of each other, a certainty of' operation is attained by reason of the fact that should one of the fingers meet with an obstruction, such as bridging of the pieces of carbid, the othei` fingers will pass totheir closed position independent of the obstructed ones, which will immediately follow as the carbid shifts. This would not be the case if the several fingers were in fixed relation to each other after the manner of the teeth of a comb.

lVithin the chute a defiector 79 is formed on the upper rear wall immediately in front of the slot a its purpose being to guard the opening from the direct line of flow of the carbid so as to facilitate the entering of the fingers and prevent their jamming by particles of carbid wedging between them and the sides of the opening, upon wit-hdrawal of the fingers.

Ordinarily the shoe does not swing through its full arc of movement, as the feed device is so sensitive that a very small deposit of carbid in the generating chamber is sufficient to close the shoe before it is emptied and to slightly open the cut-0E, while a very small consumption of the gas will cause the cut-off to close the chute and the shoe to feed another minute portion of its carbid. The result is t-he maintenance of an almost continuous feed and a consequent highly desirable uniformity in the gas pressure in the service pipes so that flickering of the lights is avoided. 1t has been found, however, that this nearly continuous feed in connection with a positive cut-off results in a gradually progressive depletion of the store of carbid in the shoe without sufficient reacting of the gasometer to open the cut-off, until a point is reached where the carbid is so far exhausted from the shoe that. the gasV generated thereby is not suffiient to raise the gasometer and open the cutoft' to furnish a new supply, and thereupon the generator dies It has been sought, by some, to avoid this difficulty by so constructing the cut-0E as not to be abso-lute, but to leak some carbid. This is a dangerous practice, however, and practically nullifies the advantage, in point of safety, which demands the cut-off.

In our construction, we have furnished means to maintain the cut-off absolute in its action and at the same time to prevent the generator from going dead. To this end, we so construct the shoe that while the feed across its surface is clean, that is the new supply to the shoe pushes the old off and maintains the supply to the shoe fresh andY thus prevents hydration, yet if not pushed off by an incoming supply, a certain portion will not fall by gravity. This portion we call a reserve charge as it is held back just previous to the time when, under the circumstance noted above, the generation of the gas would cease and the machine die. This point having been reached, and the cut-off being closed to prevent a further supply, it is our object to dump this remaining reserve of carbid into the generating chamber and generate enough gas to elevate the gasometer sufficiently to open the cut-off and again set up the practically continuous but very gradually diminishing feed so necessary to a safe and uniform generation of gas. Ve accomplish this result. by the following means: A wire frame 7' is mounted on the pivot 7c3 of the bow or bail n with one of its ends 1^ extending at an angle and carrying a grooved roll r2 arranged to ride on a lever r3 which is ful,- crumed on the pivot n4 of the finger bars n and actuated by the bow or bail n bearing on the anti-friction roll r4. To the wire frame ff' is connected, in its intermediate portion, the reserve feed plate T5, whose free edge 1" rides in the dump shoe at the rear of the carbid charge. This feed plate may be weighted as shown at W. A reserve feed latch s pivotally mounted on the yoke 7a2 and weighted at one end s to maintain it yieldingly in a substantially vertical position, has at its upper end a notch or shoulder s2 and a projecting nose s3. The notch or shoulder s2 is arranged vto engage the wire frame 7' as the shoe and latch moves backward during a feeding action, and to carry the frame 1' and feed plate f5 back with it, the latch retaining the frame and holding the 'feed plate in the rear part of the shoe behind the charge of carbid. As the shoe moves back and fort-h in its normal feed movement the reserve feed plate remains inactive, but when, as stated above, the gas reaches such a low stage that the normal feed is insufficient to raise the gasometer far enough to open the cut-off, the gasometer continues to sink and by the feed rod mit t-o rock the shaft mi. and retract the shoe until the nose s of the latch impinges against the curved or beveled face t of a trip bracket t, secured to the magazine j, whereby on the further upward movement of the latch the latter is thereby pushed back and caused to release the frame 1", `whereupon the feed plate T5 suddenly falls and shoves the reserve portion of carbid off the shoe and generates sufficient gas to raise the gasometer, close the shoe, open the cut-off, and thus renew the normal feed. As the shoe goes forward, the bow n lifts the lever which raises the frame 11 and plate 15 and the latch again engages the reserve feed frame and holds it ready for the neXt emergency, The water sheds u and u serve to prevent access of water to carbid on the shoe, and the constant change of carbid therein under normal feed also prevents hydration of any carbid therein. The periodical operation of the reserve feed, moreover, also serves to keep the shoe clean and to discharge the last remnant of carbid therefrom in case the magazine is allowed to become empty.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In an acetylene generator, the combination, with a generating chamber, a carbid magazine, and a feed shoe arranged to reciprocate across the mouth of the magazine, of independently operable lingers pivoted above the magazine throat and arranged to enter the same, a member underlying the fingers and actuated by the closing movenient of the shoe to retract the fingers and permit the flow of the carbid. to the shoe and withdrawn by the feeding movement of the shoe to permit the fingers to swing independently into the throat to interrupt the How, and a substantially stationary comb arranged with its teeth separating the individual lingers to guide the same.

2. In an acetylene generator, the'combination, with a generating chamber, a carbid magazine, and a feed shoe arranged to reciprocate across the mouth of the magazine, of independently operable fingers pivoted above the magazine throat and arranged to enter the same, a member underlying the fingers and actuated by the closing movement of the shoe to retract the ngers and permit the flow of the carbid to the slice and withdrawn by the feeding movement of the shoe to permit the fingers to swing independently into the throat to interrupt the flow and a sheet metal comb secured to the magazine with its teeth separating the individual fingers to guide the same.

3. In an acetylene generator, the combination, with a generating chamber, a carbid magazine, and a feed shoe arranged to reciprocate across the mouth of the magazine, of independently operable fingers pivoted above the magazine throat and ar anged to enter the same, a member underlying the lingers and actuated by the closing movement of the shoe to retract the fingers and permit the flow of the carbid to the shoe and withdrawn by the feeding movement of the shoe to permit the fingers to swing independently into the throat to interrupt the flow, and a sheet metal plate secured to the magazine above the fingers and slotted along its lower edge to form a comb with the teeth lying between the several individual fingers.

Ll. In an acetylene generator, the combina tion, with a generating chamber, a carbid magazine, and a feed shoe arranged to re ciprocate across the mouth. of the magazine, of independently operable fingers pivoted above the magazine throat and arranged to enter the same, a bow underlying the fingers and pivoted laterally thereof with one end extending beyond the pivotal oint into the path of the shoe, whereby the closing movement of the shoe actuates the bow to retract the fingers collectively and the feed movement of the shoe releases the bow and permits the fingers to independently enter the throat, and a sheet metal plate secured to the magazine above the fingers and slotted along its lower edge to form a comb with the teeth lying between the several individual fingers.

5. In an acetylene generator, the combination with a generating chamber, a carbid magazine, a feed shoe arranged to receive carbid from the magazine and controlled by the normal range of movement of the gasometer to feed a portion only of the carbid thereon to the generating chamber, and independently operable fingers arranged to be interposed in the throat of the magazine during the feeding movement of the shoe, of a reserve feed plate arranged behind the reserve portion of the.carbid on the plate, and means actuated only upon a sinking of the gasometer below a predetermined minimum position to operate the plate to push the reserve portion of the carbid from the shoe.

G. In an acetylene generator, the combination with a generating chamber, a carbid magazine, a feed shoe arranged to receive carbid from the magazine and controlled by the normal range of movement of the gasometer to feed a portion only of the carbid thereon to the generating chamber, and independently operable fingers arranged to be interposed in the throat of the magazine during the feeding movement of the shoe, of a reserve plate arranged adjacent to the reserve portion of carbid, a latch normally holding the plate out of operation, and a trip arranged to engage the latch upon the sinking of the gasometer below a predeter mined minimum position to release the plate to push the reserve portion of the carbid from the shoe.

7. In an acetylene generator, the combination with a generating chamber, a carbid magazine, a feed shoe arranged to receive carbid from the magazine and cont-rolled by the normal range of movement of the gasometer to feed a portion only of the carbid thereon to the generating chamber, independently operable fingers arranged to be interposed in the throat of the magazine during the feeding movement of the shoe, and a member underlying the fingers and actuated by the closing movement of the trip arranged to engage the latch upon thev sinking of the gasometer below a predetermined minimum position to release the plate to push the reserve portion of the carbid from the shoe, and means actuated by the closing movement of the shoe to again latch the reserve feed plate in readiness for another emergency.

In testimony whereof We aX our signatures in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ALGERNON S. PHELPS. JOHN N. J. HILBERT. Witnesses:

F. B. SPRAGUE, MARY M. EPPERsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

